Uncle Tom’s Cabin, by Harriet Beecher Stowe is a novel that was written as a call to action to its readers against slavery in the United States. Through many characters, mainly Tom, Stowe illustrates the heart-breaking realities of slavery to her readers. One instrumental way that Stowe did this was through the rhetorical device of antithesis.
Two characters who embody Stowe’s use of antithesis are Tom Loker and Mr. Haley. Haley is described as a “short, thickset man” (3) and Loker as having a body expressive of “brutal and unhesitating violence” (66), emphasizing that Tom Loker is more abusive with his slaves. When discussing how their slaves act, Haley recounts a slave woman who lost her child, saying that she “ketches a knife” when her …show more content…
Eliza is clearly affectionate toward her son Harry, with her feelings being described as “ entwined with that little life”, demonstrating that Eliza’s entire world revolves around her son (15). In contrast, Marie, not having seen her daughter Eva for an extended period of time, “languidly kissed her” (166). The use of the word “languidly” underscores Marie’s indifference toward her daughter. In contrast, Eliza is a completely selfless mother. While on the run to keep Harry from being sold, Harry expresses his hunger. Eliza gives Harry the only food they have, and when he tries to share, Eliza tells him that she “can’t eat until you are safe!”, even though later she acknowledges that she is in fact “weary and hungry” (14). She willingly deprives herself to make sure her son is as comfortable as possible. Eliza’s strong maternal instinct is contrasted by Marie’s selfish tendencies. When Eva is born, instead of being happy, Marie remarks St. Clare’s fondness of Eva with “petulant jealousy”, and regards St. Clare’s devotion with “suspicion and dislike” (157). Marie is clearly a person who needs all the attention on her, but her need is so extreme that she puts her importance above that of her own daughter. Her jealousy is borne out of a sense of entitlement to all of her husband’s attention. Instead of sharing in St. Clare’s love for Eva, Marie chooses to see her own daughter as competition for her …show more content…
Through the comparison of Mr. Haley and Tom Loker, Stowe suggests that even though Mr. Haley had been previously considered the worst type of slave master, Tom Loker shows there is no limit to the cruelty of slave masters, and slaves are at the mercy of slave masters with different approaches to slave treatment. Through the comparison of Eliza and Marie, two mothers, Stowe dismantles the myth of the Jezebel, which paints black women as bad mothers. Stowe uses a white woman to demonstrate that a white mother can also be a bad mother. Eliza’s commitment to her son makes her the epitome of a good mother. Contrasting the settings of the plantation in Kentucky and the Quaker settlement, Stowe suggests that even one of the northernmost slave states is nothing but a slave state in comparison to a place without slavery, such as the Quaker settlement. A misconception about slavery as it moved up north was that it became less harsh. While this was true, Stowe emphasized that just because Kentucky was less harsh than in other places does not mean that slaves living there had a good life. The Quaker settlement was painted as a benevolent place that brought nothing but relief and comfort to the former slaves. The Quaker settlement was used by Stowe to demonstrate how lovely life can be in a place without slavery and was an attempt by Stowe to demand that the United
Two characters who embody Stowe’s use of antithesis are Tom Loker and Mr. Haley. Haley is described as a “short, thickset man” (3) and Loker as having a body expressive of “brutal and unhesitating violence” (66), emphasizing that Tom Loker is more abusive with his slaves. When discussing how their slaves act, Haley recounts a slave woman who lost her child, saying that she “ketches a knife” when her …show more content…
Eliza is clearly affectionate toward her son Harry, with her feelings being described as “ entwined with that little life”, demonstrating that Eliza’s entire world revolves around her son (15). In contrast, Marie, not having seen her daughter Eva for an extended period of time, “languidly kissed her” (166). The use of the word “languidly” underscores Marie’s indifference toward her daughter. In contrast, Eliza is a completely selfless mother. While on the run to keep Harry from being sold, Harry expresses his hunger. Eliza gives Harry the only food they have, and when he tries to share, Eliza tells him that she “can’t eat until you are safe!”, even though later she acknowledges that she is in fact “weary and hungry” (14). She willingly deprives herself to make sure her son is as comfortable as possible. Eliza’s strong maternal instinct is contrasted by Marie’s selfish tendencies. When Eva is born, instead of being happy, Marie remarks St. Clare’s fondness of Eva with “petulant jealousy”, and regards St. Clare’s devotion with “suspicion and dislike” (157). Marie is clearly a person who needs all the attention on her, but her need is so extreme that she puts her importance above that of her own daughter. Her jealousy is borne out of a sense of entitlement to all of her husband’s attention. Instead of sharing in St. Clare’s love for Eva, Marie chooses to see her own daughter as competition for her …show more content…
Through the comparison of Mr. Haley and Tom Loker, Stowe suggests that even though Mr. Haley had been previously considered the worst type of slave master, Tom Loker shows there is no limit to the cruelty of slave masters, and slaves are at the mercy of slave masters with different approaches to slave treatment. Through the comparison of Eliza and Marie, two mothers, Stowe dismantles the myth of the Jezebel, which paints black women as bad mothers. Stowe uses a white woman to demonstrate that a white mother can also be a bad mother. Eliza’s commitment to her son makes her the epitome of a good mother. Contrasting the settings of the plantation in Kentucky and the Quaker settlement, Stowe suggests that even one of the northernmost slave states is nothing but a slave state in comparison to a place without slavery, such as the Quaker settlement. A misconception about slavery as it moved up north was that it became less harsh. While this was true, Stowe emphasized that just because Kentucky was less harsh than in other places does not mean that slaves living there had a good life. The Quaker settlement was painted as a benevolent place that brought nothing but relief and comfort to the former slaves. The Quaker settlement was used by Stowe to demonstrate how lovely life can be in a place without slavery and was an attempt by Stowe to demand that the United